1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, and more particularly is directed to improvements in the mode change-over mechanism of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, such as an audio tape recorder or a video tape recorder (VTR).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mode change-over mechanisms of the feather-touch type have been proposed for recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which a push button or mode selecting switch of the feather-touch type can be softly touched to energize plunger-solenoids for the change-over operation to a desired mode. However, in all of the proposed mode change-over mechanisms, the pulling forces generated by the plunger solenoids themselves are used to operate or displace substantially all of the parts, such as levers and sliding members, that need to be moved for the mode change-over operation. Accordingly, the plunger-solenoids have to be provided with large capacities. Further, in most of the proposed mode change-over mechanisms, the energization of the plunger-solenoids has to be maintained even after the end of a respective mode change-over operation, so that such a recording and/or reproducing apparatus consumes much electric power, as is unsuitable for battery operation.
Moreover, none of the existing mode change-over mechanisms can perform a so-called "mutual mode change-over operation" in which the tape recorder can be changed over to one of the forward (FWD) mode, the recording (REC) mode, the fast-forward (FF) mode and the rewind (REW) mode directly from another of such modes, that is, without passing through the STOP mode. Thus, the flexibility of operating mode selection in the existing tape recorders is not all that would be desired, particularly for dictation or editing purposes.